Top runners broke course records at the 8th annual Run for the River in Kinston.

With a bright sun and a slight chill in the air Saturday morning, runners aged 8-72 years old took off from the NeusewayNatureCenter, up Queen Street, through downtown neighborhoods and back toward the farmers’ market on Herritage Street.

Kiprono Kurgat, a Chapel Hill resident and native of Kenya, broke a three-year-old course record for the men by finishing the 8 kilometers at 23 minutes, 42 seconds. The old record was held by Devin Swann at 24 minutes even.

“It feels all right — so good,” Kurgat said as he caught his breath after crossing the finish line.

Caitlin Bullock, of Charlotte, erased the 28 minutes, one second mark made by Heather Magill in 2011 with her own time of 27 minutes, 15 seconds.

“It’s my first race as a married woman, so it feels good to win with my new name,” Bullock said.

Tibor Vegh, of Cary, entered the race with his wife, Kristina. They both placed third overall.

“It feels really nice, especially in a race like this,” Vegh said of his finish. He ran cross country and track at N.C.State. “It was very well-organized, and I just cannot say enough good things about the race.”

The event started out with a 1-mile run around Neuseway, and ended with prizes and a small celebration. The first-place winners took home $500 and a commemorative Lenox bowl. Second-place runners received $300, and those in third place received $150 each.

Adrian King of Pride of Kinston, which organized the event, said everything turned out well.

“People were a little bit slow signing on, which gave me a little bit of heartburn, but they’ve all flooded in as of this week, and then today,” King said. “And so, it’s really been a great race. We’ve got a great team putting the thing together.”

For more information on the race, go to downtownkinston.com/run.

Wes Wolfe can be reached at 252-559-1075 or wes.wolfe@kinston.com. Follow him on Twitter @WolfeReports.